


copy room conflict

by frinkles



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Office, Comedy, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:06:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27090154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frinkles/pseuds/frinkles
Summary: The copy room isnotmeant for giving head.(no matter how nice Johnny's smile is)
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 37
Kudos: 273





	copy room conflict

**Author's Note:**

> thought it was about time i finished this
> 
> everything i write is self-indulgent, but this was especially self-indulgent, i just wrote whatever i wanted with little regards for a consistent plotline... i hope you still enjoy it though!

The copy room at Dongyoung's office is a really nice room. 

It's spacious, with a heavy wooden table, some of their old computer chairs—big and comfy, too big to fit under their new desks—and lighting that could almost be called ambient. It even has a little vase with some orange asters, a little dusty and glaringly fake (although Mark the mail guy once very seriously asked how they could stay that nice with no water) but brightening up the place nonetheless. It's right next to their workspace, only a few steps away, and it closes with a door.

Dongyoung agrees that those qualities make it a nice room, definitely an enticing place to retreat to during working hours. But that doesn’t mean all his colleagues should just go in there and close the door whenever they have private business to deal with! Some people just want to print things!

And Dongyoung hates being a bother to people. He doesn’t like just barging in and being sent disapproving looks from the people huddled around the table, or having them cover their phone and ask him, “sorry, can you give me a moment?”, because he can’t exactly say no, either. He doesn’t want to be accused of being rude, or senseless. Even though he has much more sense than whoever closes that door! When it’s _his_ turn to assure Susan from finance that she’s a strong, independent woman and she should just leave her piece of shit husband and they’re all here for her, he takes her to one of the plentiful private meeting rooms upstairs!

Over time, Dongyoung has become almost scared of disturbing people, to the point that he usually avoids the room whenever the door is closed. And he really wishes he had done so right now, too.

The copy room is definitely not meant for sucking dick.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" he shouts at the door he's already pulled shut again. He's sorry for himself, mostly, for having opened that door and having had to witness— _that_.

Dongyoung power walks away, all the way away to the break room. It doesn't matter though, the image is already seared into his brain. Jaehyun on his knees, his jacket sleeves stretching over his raised arms, his lips around Johnny's—

“Is everything alright?” It's Jeno, the intern, filling up a big thermos at the coffee machine by repeatedly pressing the one cup button.

“Yeah, of course!” Dongyoung forces a smile. He doesn’t like the idea of lying to his favourite intern, but in this case it’s better to keep the truth from him. Dongyoung doesn’t want to traumatise the poor kid.

“You don’t need to lie to me.” Jeno smiles his stupidly effective puppy smile, his eyes creasing shut, and Dongyoung nearly starts pouring his heart out. But then Jeno continues: “Do you want to head to the copy room and talk about it?”

“No!” Dongyoung cries out, and Jeno flinches so badly he nearly drops his thermos. Dongyoung swears inwardly, and rushes to hold him steady. “I mean, thank you for offering, Jeno, but it’s alright. Everything is fine. Go get that coffee upstairs.”

But before Jeno can leave, the clack of expensive Chelsea boots resounds through the hallway, and Dongyoung knows exactly whose shoes they are. He reluctantly turns around.

“Hey, Dongyoung..?” Johnny asks, a slight bit doubtful. Dongyoung makes eye contact with him, and feels himself flush at the memory of what he had to witness just now. And he always liked Johnny so much, too, Johnny is always so nice to him. He's probably the coworker Dongyoung is closest to. Maybe almost even friends with. Dongyoung hopes they are friends. And now everything is no doubt going to get all weird.

Jeno eyes them, and must notice the obvious tension, because he just nods and walks away. Good boy.

“I'm so, _so_ sorry,” Johnny says once Jeno is gone, and he walks all the way up to the counter, leaning against it, literally right next to Dongyoung. “That should have never happened and I'm so sorry you had to see that.”

Dongyoung whines, awkwardly staring at the picture of Spongebob someone once taped beneath the notice board, because he can’t look at Johnny right now. “I hate you all so much, why do you do this to me,” he says with little conviction. “All I want to do is print my files...” He doesn’t want to look at Johnny, but he also really needs to know if he can still see any traces of what happened. If Johnny's cheeks are flushed, his button-up askew, if his fly still unzipped, showing his— _no_. Stop it.

“I know, and I’m really sorry. It was all our fault. Please, can you, um, I know I'm asking for a lot right now, but can you please keep this between us?” Johnny chuckles a little. “I don't really want to get written up, or like, fired."

 _I_ don't want to get fired for not being able to do my job, Dongyoung thinks. Johnny might be smiling but this is not exactly laughing matter. Dongyoung is not sure if he can use the copy room ever again now that he knows exactly where Jaehyun was kneeling when he was giving neck, where Johnny was standing when he was getting his—getting his _knob slobbed_...

“Please? I promise you it won't happen ever again!” 

How can Johnny be so casual about it. It's stupid, Dongyoung is, he's too weak, but he already forgave Johnny the moment he first said sorry. It's weird, he probably should be mad, but he just can't stay mad at that tall, sweater wearing, radiating friendliness piece of shit man. It's not Dongyoung’s business what his colleagues do during work time, and Johnny sounded sincere enough. But hopefully next time they'll stick to bathrooms or storage closets like normal people.

“Uh, I'll, uh. I won't say anything.” As if he even could. He could never get it past his lips. Maybe it’s time to change the subject. “I didn't know you and Jaehyun were…?” He finishes his sentence with a hand gesture that could literally mean anything, and realises he didn’t really manage to change the subject. But he still wants to know. He thought Johnny and Jaehyun were just friends, he never noticed anything…

“Oh, no, no!” Johnny laughs, flailing. “It was just a one time thing! Just, you know?” Dongyoung really doesn't. “I guess you don't,” Johnny says with a smile. “Well, anyway. I hope you will be able to, how do they call that? Forgive and forget?”

Dongyoung's face contorts without his permission, mostly at the idea of having to go on with his life with this knowledge, this memory etched into his brain. “Yeah, I hope so…”

Johnny finally looks a bit awkward as he winces, and he shrugs with a half-smile, baring his teeth. “Again, I’m sorry…”

Unsurprisingly, Dongyoung has trouble focusing on his work the rest of the afternoon, most of his attention spent on barring weird intrusive thoughts and making sure he doesn’t accidentally make eye contact with Johnny or Jaehyun. He leaves as soon as he can, and when he gets home, he crashes on his couch and instantly falls asleep. 

He dreams of getting fired, and his parents getting mad. They visit his work like a parent teacher conference, Dongyoung frantically trying to defend himself, and Johnny opens the copy room door and sends him a disapproving look. “Why didn’t you just open the door,” he says, and Jaehyun, still kneeling, follows it with, “yeah, Dongyoung, why didn’t you just join us”, and that’s where Dongyoung wakes up, completely disoriented and drenched in cold sweat, and feeling like he hasn’t quite digested today’s events yet.

  
🍂

  
Johnny must really be sorry. In the days that follow, Dongyoung is never without macadamia nut cookies and little bags of crispy m&m’s, and he needs to tell Johnny to stop bringing him caramel frappuccinos and matcha lattes from the place he gets his own americano, because Johnny doesn’t have Dongyoung’s reusable tumbler and it’s just too wasteful, even if it’s really tasty.

“Wait...” Dongyoung suddenly starts to wonder, and he needs to know before he can accept the good, fresh, cream cheese sandwich from the bakery across the street that Johnny offers him on Thursday (how did Johnny even know he likes those?). “Are you trying to buy my silence?”

“Oh, no!” Johnny’s eyes go round, and his eyebrows up, and it’s almost like he’s mocking Dongyoung. “Or, do I need to?”

Dongyoung needs to think quick. If he says yes, that would mean more free food. But it would also mean lying to Johnny. And it’s not like Dongyoung can’t afford his own lunches? He doesn't want Johnny to think that he's poor and helpless. He’s perfectly capable!

“I’m just trying to make up for what you had to see? I feel bad! You don’t need to accept it.”

“Uhm.” Dongyoung hesitates, and stares at the wrapped sandwich in Johnny’s outstretched hand. Johnny has already bought it… And isn’t it kind of weird to refuse a gift? He also doesn’t miss the way Johnny’s smile gets a little smaller the longer Dongyoung waits. “Okay, I guess... I’ll accept it.”

Johnny grins widely at him, and Dongyoung enjoys his free lunch.

Jaehyun, meanwhile, avoids Dongyoung completely, turning away everytime he sees him, and Dongyoung doesn't blame him at all, because honestly, same. God, all of this is so awkward. Dongyoung really hates Johnny for being able to be so casual about it.

Jaehyun was already sitting at his desk when Dongyoung came back from the break room that day, hunched over his keyboard and pretending to be working hard, and Dongyoung pretended not to see him, and they have been keeping that up ever since.

It’s totally different from Johnny, who appears to know no shame, but apparently still feels some sense of responsibility.

On Friday, Johnny even says, "Hey, Dongyoung, what if I treat you to lunch later?" and it's right in the middle of their work floor and it would be weird if Dongyoung said no. And he'd need to justify his choice because who doesn't want to get lunch with Johnny, especially if it's his treat. So Dongyoung ends up agreeing to it.

Lunch is an entirely awkward affair, Dongyoung realises as they sit side by side at the window seats in the Japanese place Johnny took them. Dongyoung pretends to be really interested in his salmon teriyaki bento box, but Johnny bravely tries to talk through it, and Dongyoung appreciates that. 

Johnny might have said “ _forgive and forget_ ”, but he brings it up again by apologising once more. Dongyoung needs to tell him to just pretend it never happened and actually forget about it. Because, _god_ , Dongyoung would really love to. He doesn't want to see Johnny take the carrots from Dongyoung’s bento box with a sweet smile, and remember that he's the kind of person who likes to get his willy wet in a copy room at two in the afternoon.

It makes Dongyoung wonder, momentarily careless, if he would do the same. How it would be, if Jaehyun offered to suck his dick while he's waiting for his 86 page document to be printed. No, Dongyoung would definitely turn him down. That idea doesn't appeal to him at all. But then he thinks of sinking to his knees in front of Johnny, and he instantly realises that’s a line of thought he should leave right away.

Dongyoung tugs at his collar, and fixes his grip on his chopsticks. It’s kind of warm inside this place, it’s not just him. Johnny already took off his cardigan, leaving him in just a pressed shirt, crips and white against his tan skin. It fits him perfectly. Dongyoung resolutely stares out the window.

It gets better, though, and Dongyoung thinks he might be warming up to the concept of him and Johnny spending time together, alone. By the time they’re walking back, he’s almost having fun. That is, as long as he’s not remembering that Johnny and Jaehyun—Dongyoung shakes his head, and berates himself. He has to _stop_ thinking about that.

Johnny looks at him and laughs. “You alright?”

“Yeah. Just peachy,” Dongyoung answers through gritted teeth.

  
🍂

  
Dongyoung decides to take matters into his own hands, regarding the copy room, finally. Because what if it had been one of the interns walking in on Johnny and Jaehyun, instead of him? They're still young and pure, and don't deserve to be corrupted like that. (Jeno is still pure and uncorrupted at least, Dongyoung is sure. Donghyuck, Dongyoung is not so sure.)

He heads to his department head to ask if something can be done about people using the copy room for not-copy-room-related things. She just tells him that she's aware of it and that she's been meaning to make a sign, she's just been busy, but Dongyoung can do it himself, if he wants.

So Dongyoung does, of course. He’s always excited to be given responsibility for something. He makes a beautiful, clear-cut, slightly threatening but still very polite sign, utilising word art but without rainbows or comic sans so people will actually take it seriously. He’s just started laminating it in the copy room, when Jaehyun steps in, and closes the door behind him.

Dongyoung looks at him. And at the sign in his hands. And back up at Jaehyun. For one moment he contemplates dramatically flinging the sign out of the window, and then flinging himself after it, if only that wouldn't be such an inconvenience for the company.

“Hey, can we talk for a sec?” Jaehyun sounds almost shy. Uncomfortable, like he'd rather not be having this conversation. Well, he should be. Dongyoung hopes he's feeling great remorse. Bloody hell, Johnny was right at the other side of this table when Jaehyun—Dongyoung eyes Jaehyun suspiciously. What if " _talk_ " is a euphemism? What if Jaehyun has other ideas on how to apologise?

Jaehyun must take his lack of answer for a yes, and thankfully continues with actual talking. "What… what you saw, that's really not what I normally do, um. It was just, ah, a stupid bet? It was really stupid, we weren't thinking. I just wanted to let you know that. There's nothing going on between me and Johnny.”

Dongyoung sighs. “I don't care whose dick you suck,” he says, because he really doesn't. He doesn't care about Jaehyun! It’s just messed up that they would do it right here! Maybe it does actually bother him a bit that it was Johnny, but he’s not sure why. “Or where you do it,” he continues, “as long as you just don't do it in the copy room. This is a common area! People have to use this room!”

“Yeah, I know,” Jaehyun says. “Look, it won’t happen again, so just…” He pulls on the lapels of his stupidly expensive blazer, and looks around a bit. He still misses the sign on the table, and Dongyoung can't help sighing again. "Okay, I'll, uh, leave you to it?" Jaehyun says, and he heads out without looking back.

Dongyoung tapes the sign right at eye level on the inside of the door, so it’s impossible to miss, and tries to get on with his day. It’s just so unfortunate that Jaehyun’s desk happens to be right at the other side of their open plan office, facing Dongyoung’s. He catches Jaehyun's eye way too often while looking up, and now, after their talk, Jaehyun keeps sending him extremely painful looking smiles. And Dongyoung is forced to try and smile back, before quickly averting his eyes, because what else is he going to do. He still hasn’t been doing very well with forgetting about the whole thing.

  
🍂

  
Dongyoung doesn't really know how it happened (okay, maybe it happened because Johnny asked him and he couldn't say no—he didn't even want to say no), but the next Friday, he's having lunch with Johnny again.

“Don’t be mad only at Jaehyun. It was both our fault, we both took part in it…” Johnny looks around, and rests his fork against his lower lip, looking a little pensive. There’s green at the corner of his mouth, from his pasta pesto, and Dongyoung instinctively grabs his napkin, about to reach out and wipe Johnny’s mouth for him. But that would be really weird, and definitely not something colleagues do for each other. Because that’s all they are, they’re just colleagues, who happened to have been in a situation much more intimate than they'd like. Suddenly Dongyoung has a weird, uninvited thought about wiping Jaehyun’s lips after Jaehyun's done with Johnny. The napkin crumples in his fist.

Johnny continues, unaware. “It’s not like he just pulled my dick out and sucked it without my consent.”

“I would hope not!” Dongyoung exclaims, garnering some looks from people around them. Dongyoung ignores them because he’s got more important things to care about right now. If Jaehyun had actually done that, Dongyoung would really have to get mad at him. He continues with a lowered voice. “Anyway, I'm not mad… Things are just a little awkward, it's not _my_ fault.” He sends Johnny a look.

“Things are awkward with you and everybody,” Johnny chuckles, and Dongyoung frowns. Johnny is getting way too comfortable around him, did he forget that Dongyoung owns him a massive favour?

“He's just, weird about it? I saw things I really wish I hadn't, but it's already happened now, so if he could just stop with those awful forced smiles…” If he was more like you, Dongyoung thinks, that would make it much easier. Dongyoung feels so much more comfortable around Johnny.

“It's just… I think what happened puts him in a bit of a difficult position.” Johnny uses his knife and fork to slice up his remaining spaghetti strands and doesn't elaborate.

“What does that mean. Why are we still talking about this,” Dongyoung laments. “I want to forget about it and never mention it again until a Christmas party a few years from now where I tell the entire department in great detail because unfortunately I never forget anything..." He rests his face on his hand, and pouts at his seafood salad. Embarrassing Johnny like that in front of everyone would probably serve him right, but knowing Johnny, he might very well charm his way out of it and spin the story so it's embarrassing for Dongyoung instead… and Dongyoung won't be able to do anything about it, because Johnny charms him just as well.

He’s really not mad, it’s weird. He doesn’t feel anything that resembles anger towards Johnny and he’s become pretty good at recognising his own emotions by now. It was just an unfortunate occurrence, and Johnny and Jaehyun admitted they were at fault, and they apologised. At least, Johnny apologised. Jaehyun did something close to apologising, and it’s probably the best he’ll get. But Dongyoung can kind of understand the feeling of your own pride being in the way.

It should just be left behind them. And that’s why Dongyoung doesn’t understand why his thoughts keep going back to that moment, whenever he sees either of them.

Dongyoung can’t help wondering if maybe he should stop being around Johnny so much, if that would help. Johnny really doesn’t need to keep treating him to lunch. But Dongyoung actually likes hanging out with him, he _likes_ Johnny! Johnny is fun and great to talk with and always so nice, and sure, he makes dumb decisions sometimes, but _everyone_ does! Even Dongyoung—well, no, Dongyoung would never do something like getting his dick sucked in the copy room in the middle of the day, but Dongyoung has definitely made his share of dumb decisions too. 

Things are probably just weird because of himself, and his godawful immaculate memory. Dongyoung sighs. Maybe over time he’ll get used to these unwanted pictures in his head.

They head back to the office, and Jungwoo smiles at them from behind the reception desk. Oh, sweet Jungwoo. He gives Dongyoung so much joy. Dongyoung always watches through the window as Jungwoo’s boyfriend comes to pick him up, like clockwork every day, and every time again Jungwoo beams at the man, and acts coy, and hides his blushing cheeks behind his hands. Dongyoung has never met his boyfriend in person, but Johnny has, and told him he’s a very cute and very tiny and absolutely amazing guy. As he should be, Jungwoo deserves the absolute best.

Dongyoung keeps looking at Jungwoo’s soft cheeks and lopsided smile for a little longer, to gain some energy to get him through the rest of the afternoon. He feels instantly healed already, his heart calm and at peace.

Johnny snorts behind him. "You know he’s already taken, right?"

"Of course!" Dongyoung turns back to Johnny, who's looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "I can always see them from my desk! He looks like he makes Jungwoo so happy.” Dongyoung can't help his wide smile. He might be blushing in place for Jungwoo now. “Isn't it so lovely?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess they're really cute together.” Johnny looks a little puzzled before he starts smiling too, and Dongyoung doesn't get it, but he doesn't let it bother him.

  
🍂

  
It's nearing the end of October, and Johnny, being the American that he is, insists on celebrating Halloween at the office. He doesn't even need to pester their boss about it, just one charming smile is enough for her to sway and let him do whatever he wants. Honestly, Dongyoung can relate.

So it's Thursday, the 31st, and Dongyoung arrives at the office to Johnny standing on a desk chair and taping fake cobwebs to the ceiling. He’s much earlier than usual, normally arriving just past nine with a strong, steaming coffee in his hand. Maybe Halloween decorations are that much more important than standing in line for a cup of bitter black espresso.

Dongyoung takes a quick look around. There's Halloween candy and a—hopefully fake—spider at everyone's desk, and a creepy piano tune coming from the direction of Johnny's computer.

“Wow, you really went for it...” Dongyoung says, trying to go for an appreciative nod. “Is that music going to be playing all day?”

“Why, do you not like it? Do you not appreciate Halloween, Dongyoung?”

Johnny’s voice rises in pitch, becoming almost aggressive, and Dongyoung is pretty sure he's joking, but he still needs to defend himself. "No! That's not it, I just…” We're here to work, he thinks.

Johnny starts laughing, and it makes him sway dangerously on his spinny chair. “No worries, I know what you mean,” he says, and as he gets down, Dongyoung gets a good look at him. He initially thought Johnny had forgone wearing a costume, but it turns out he’s wearing a headband with furry ears on his head.

It’s not very scary at all. “So, what are you supposed to be?”

“I'm a catboy!” Johnny says happily. He hides his hands in the sleeves of his oversized sweater and lifts them towards Dongyoung. “Look, I even have sweater paws!”

“That's nice…” Dongyoung means it, even though his voice unfortunately comes out a little doubtful. Johnny looks very happy with his costume, it's cute to see. “I'm sorry, I didn't think of dressing up…”

“Oh no don't worry about it! It's just a regular work day after all. To be honest with you,” Johnny lowers his voice and leans closer to Dongyoung, as if letting him in on a secret, “I was gonna go slutty, but I decided that I should keep it workplace appropriate…” He laughs behind his fuzzy mohair covered hand, and Dongyoung blinks at him.

“Slutty..? Do you usually do that?”

Johnny rests a contemplative finger against his lower lip. “Would you dislike it if I said yes?”

“No!” Dongyoung says quickly. “You can dress however you like, it's your good right to dress slutty! But I'm glad you didn’t show up to the office in booty shorts...”

Johnny looks at him with a cheeky smile, and Dongyoung doesn't like it one bit. “You don't know what's under my pants.”

“And I don't want to know!” It's too late, he's already imagining Johnny sprawled on his desk chair, one leg folded like he sometimes does, except this time his legs are bare and naked and so long and muscular and Dongyoung can see everything, up to where the hemline of his boxer briefs peeks out where the shorts bunch up. A long cat tail is curled over his lap, Johnny's hand stroking it suggestively.

Dongyoung really hates Johnny for making him think of that. He's not some bloody furry!

Johnny laughs heartily, and Dongyoung gets this feeling he's being messed with again. He decides to ignore it and heads to his desk, leaving Johnny with his Halloween decorations. And when Irene comes in and, without saying anything, just walks to Johnny's desk straight away and turns off the music, Dongyoung can't help but feel a little bad for Johnny and his sad, pouty face.

Dongyoung really likes Irene, he thinks she's an amazing woman and strives to be like her someday, but if that comes at the cost of Johnny's happiness, he might need to reconsider.

Most people in the office seem to have skipped out on dressing up on this regular Thursday. Dongyoung watches as Jaehyun arrives in all black, saying that he’s a vampire, and that’s definitely the most low effort vampire Dongyoung has ever seen. Johnny tells him to unbutton his shirt down to at least his waist, to really emanate that sexy, sultry bloodsucker feeling, and Dongyoung tries not to feel upset about the fact that Johnny didn’t tell _him_ he could be a sexy vampire. He would totally be a hot vampire!

Jungwoo is the only one, aside from Johnny, who actually dressed up, Dongyoung notices when he comes down from the front desk for a quick trip to the copy room. Instead of his usual pressed trousers, he’s wearing an A-line skirt under his white button up, and shiny Mary Janes with a low heel. Johnny wolf-whistles, and then gets up to compare their heights, and concludes that he’s still taller with ears.

“I’m Seola!” Jungwoo explains his costume. “Don’t you know WJSN? You know, kpop?” He stares out the window with a dreamy smile. “And tonight I’ll wear my wig, and Taeil will take me out to a nice restaurant, and I’ll call him _oppa_ all evening...”

“Wow…” Dongyoung says. Johnny agrees with him.

(Dongyoung could call Johnny _oppa_ if he was into that)

Ten in the morning is a perfect time for a coffee break, or a perfect time for the yogurt drink Dongyoung brought and left in the refrigerator in the break room. He hadn't noticed Johnny going there just moments earlier. Or maybe he did, but he's not going there because Johnny is there right now. He's just really craving his breakfast drink.

“Hey, Dongyoung!” Johnny says when he sees him. “Can I make you happy with a Wiener melange with extra sugar?”

“No, thanks,” Dongyoung says, retracting his hand from the fridge. “I've got my—” he quickly reads the label, “—high protein raspberry, quark, quinoa and oats breakfast drink?”

“Oh, that sounds tasty!” Johnny looks down when the coffee machine beeps, and gets his cup from underneath it. Dongyoung sees him look at the deep black decoction, before looking back up at Dongyoung. “Healthy, huh?”

“Not sure, it still has a lot of sugar I'm sure.” Great, Dongyoung just said sure twice in the same sentence. Why can't he speak properly around Johnny? He used to be so eloquent! He forgets about it, though, when Johnny smiles at him, all thoughts promptly replaced with fuzzy sunshine.

“That's fitting, though?” Johnny says with a grin, “for someone as sweet as you.”

“I—huh?” Did Dongyoung hear that right? “I really thought you would say I could use some sugar for my bitter personality or something…”

“What? No! You're very sweet!” Johnny’s eyebrows rise, making his headband move slightly, and once again Dongyoung can’t tell if he’s being serious or just joking.

“Ah, uh, thanks…” Johnny is making Dongyoung kind of flustered, and he doesn't know what to say anymore. He thinks his cheeks might be heating up, so he busies himself with twisting open the cap of his drink. Johnny smiles encouragingly and sips his coffee, and then recoils because it's still too hot. 

“Be careful!” Dongyoung urges, because he wouldn’t want Johnny to burn his pretty lips, they look so soft and delicate. Then he suddenly gets an idea. “But you're also, uh… you're also sweet, you shouldn't be drinking that bitter coffee…” If that’s how things work...

“Huh.” Johnny smiles down at his cup and Dongyoung regrets being so bold because now he really doesn't know what to do anymore. He doesn’t even know what he was doing in the first place, why is he talking to Johnny like this!

“Anyway,” he quickly starts. “Um. So the weather is pretty nice today...” He looks outside through the narrow window, to where the sun is highlighting the dry leaves, making them look golden in front of the bright sky.

It works, as talking about the weather always does, crisis averted. They briefly talk about it, complaining about not having time during the day to enjoy it, and that by the time they're home the sun is already setting. Dongyoung finds out Johnny loves taking pictures, but he hasn’t had a chance to photograph the trees this year, because it keeps raining every weekend.

Dongyoung finishes his drink while they’re talking, and he throws the bottle away, making sure to leave the cap in the recycling bin. And then he regrets doing it, because it feels very uncomfortable with his hands empty. “Uh, alright... Time to get back to work I guess.”

"Yeah," Johnny says, and he steps in and gently rubs his head against Dongyoung's shoulder. And all Dongyoung can do is just stand there and frown at him, frozen while he tries to process that, because that's—that’s just really weird?

“I'm head bunting you! I'm a cat, remember.” Johnny smiles like it's the most normal thing in the world. Like he didn't just brush Dongyoung's neck with the tip of his nose. It was slightly cold and gave Dongyoung goosebumps all over.

“Of course…” Dongyoung reluctantly goes along with Johnny. This is really, really weird, but maybe it’s just what you do during Halloween? He awkwardly pets Johnny's hair, next to the headband.

It makes Johnny laugh, his cheeks becoming round and the corners of his eyes wrinkling and his shoulders rising, and Dongyoung doesn't understand what he's done wrong now. He tries to laugh along anyway. “Do you not like cats very much?” Johnny asks him.

“Huh, no? They're alright? They're cute I guess.” Dongyoung is not great with animals. Maybe if all cats were like Johnny, maybe that would be better. Or, no, that would actually be worse, definitely. What the heck, Dongyoung.

“Hope you still like me though?” Johnny pretends to wash his face with his curled hand.

“Yeah, sure, you're a very well behaved kitten. Sitting at your desk doing your job all day, never slacking off…”

“Learned from the best,” Johnny grins, reminding Dongyoung that he's very much not doing anything productive right now. He really should have known better.

He pouts at Johnny. “I would be working right now if you hadn't kept me up.” He hopes it sounds convincing, even though he's very well aware he didn't need to stand here and talk to Johnny, he chose to do so.

Back at his desk, needing a break from his spreadsheets, Dongyoung googles cat behaviour. It makes him come to an unpleasant conclusion. He quickly gets up and follows Johnny when he goes to the coffee machine for a refill. 

“Johnny!" Dongyoung calls him, voice accusing enough for Johnny to turn around with raised eyebrows. "You think I smell bad?” The underground was particularly crowded today, but Dongyoung hasn't noticed anything. Or maybe he just can't smell himself, and he's been going around stinking up the office?

“What? No?” Johnny leans way into Dongyoung's space and sniffs his neck and Dongyoung tries his hardest not to turn red at the sudden close proximity. “No, you smell good. Is that Le Labo? LYS 41?”

“Yeah, it is, what the hell, _how can you tell_ —no, wait, then why did you try to scent me!”

“ _Scent_ you?” There’s confusion on Johnny’s face, and Dongyoung worries he maybe came on a bit too strong.

“By head bunting, cats rub their scent on you because they think you’re stinky,” he recites what he just read online, sulking, and Johnny’s eyebrows start to unfurrow.

“Nooo!” he whines. “I did it because I like you! That's what cats do too!”

“Because they want everyone to know that you’re part of their territory?”

“Well… Sure? If that’s how you wanna say it?” Johnny grins, and shrugs his shoulders, and Dongyoung thinks he needs a moment or two to process all this new information.

“O—okay.” Dongyoung can feel himself starting to get flustered again. “Yes, okay, that was all I wanted to know. Thanks.” He turns around and walks back to his desk without looking at Johnny again. He needs some time to think.

It makes sense, though. They’re friends now, Dongyoung is pretty sure of that. They keep having lunch together and stuff. And friends can get a little possessive sometimes, right? And anyway, Johnny probably didn’t mean much with it. He seems to do things impulsively, without thinking very much about it at all.

  
🍂

  
Dongyoung thinks things are getting better, regarding the copy room door. He thinks his sign might actually be working. At least, he thought so, until now.

The door to the copy room is half closed, and Dongyoung doesn't pay it any mind, just pushes it further open and walks in. And in front of him, right in the middle of the room, he sees Wendy sitting on the table and Johnny bent over her, both their hands working on unbuttoning Wendy's shirt.

“Oh no not again!” Dongyoung groans, and slams the door close.

He stalks back to his desk in disbelief. So all this time, Johnny was lying to him about never doing it again? Dongyoung can’t believe he’s been misled like this.

It takes just a few moments for Johnny to appear at his desk, holding back a smile. “You can just print your things, you know.”

“No, it’s alright,” Dongyoung crosses his legs and turns with a huff, aware of how hostile his voice sounds. “You can continue, I won’t disturb you anymore.”

“I was just helping her untangle her bracelet from her shirt. Oh my god, wait—” Johnny starts laughing “—you didn't actually think—? Wendy is a lesbian! We have no business together! No business like that!”

Dongyoung whips his head around. “She is a— _what_? I thought she was just Canadian…” He remembers all the times Wendy came to work in flannel or double denim, and thinks he needs to reevaluate his entire life.

“You… what?” Johnny is still laughing, but thankfully doesn’t make fun of Dongyoung for being completely blind. “Anyway, why—why would you think I would—and I promised you I wouldn't do that in the copy room anymore! You can go print your files in peace.” Johnny laughs again and Dongyoung turns to his screen, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Sorry,” he mutters, mindlessly clicking on some empty cells. “For. Assuming? You can leave now.”

“I can’t believe you really thought…” Johnny continues, chuckling, as he walks back to his desk, and Dongyoung pretends he doesn’t hear it.

  
🍂

  
“So, lunch later?” Johnny asks when he walks up to Dongyoung's desk the next morning. He sets a steaming cup of tea next to Dongyoung’s hand, and Dongyoung frowns at it.

“I thought I told you to stop bringing me stuff. You’ve already been forgiven!”

“This is just from the machine.” Johnny grins. “But what do you say? I know this really good Thai fusion place.”

They take Johnny's car, and the lights and fancy screens on the dashboard distract Dongyoung for a while. He knew Johnny was rich and liked shiny toys, but he didn’t know it was to this extent. When he looks up, the view outside the windows surprises him.

“Wait, where are we going?” He's pretty sure they're going to the ring road.

“Oh, yeah, it's a bit far away, on the south side,” Johnny says, throwing him a quick smile, like that doesn’t matter at all.

“What? Are we gonna be back before one?” It's already past twelve, and even though traffic isn't the worst right now, going all the way to the other side of the city is gonna take way too long.

“Ah, probably not? But don't worry, I’ve already asked for permission,” Johnny tells him casually. Dongyoung didn't even know that was a thing, asking for permission for a longer lunch break. But perhaps it's something only Johnny can do.

The Thai place is indeed good. At least, the food is. The owner, unfortunately, not so much. Prying and condescending and straight up laughing at Dongyoung or rolling his eyes. But he's Johnny’s best friend, and he calls Johnny _dear_ and _love_ and pats his butt, and Dongyoung is forced to be nice. 

It takes him so much effort to keep up with both Johnny and Ten, and by the time they have to head back, he's completely exhausted. He sighs deep and drawn-out when he sinks down in the leather of Johnny’s passenger seat. “Don't take me there again.” 

“Oh, you didn't like it?” Johnny asks him, and shit, now he’s starting to look sad. Dongyoung said something wrong again.

“No, that’s not it!” Dongyoung sits upright, and reaches a hand out for—for what? He doesn’t know, and he awkwardly drops it back in his lap. “It’s. It was nice! The food was very nice. It’s just, your friend… I don’t think he likes me very much.”

“Oh, no, Dongyoung…” Johnny’s face has taken on an empathic look now. “That’s just, he just needs some time to warm up. But I promise you, once you get to know him, he’s so nice!”

“I’m not sure if he wants me to get to know him…” Dongyoung mumbles. But if Johnny says so, he might have to give it a try.

  
🍂

  
After an uneventful weekend with no Halloween parties for him, Dongyoung walks into Mark the mail guy in the lobby. Mark looks different, unkempt even. It's been a while since Dongyoung last saw Mark, but he doesn't remember him looking like _this_. 

“Mark, what happened to you?” he asks, and realises too late that might have been a little too blunt. Mark’s eyes fill with worry.

“What?” He touches his face self-consciously. “Does it look bad?”

“Oh, Mark!” Johnny walks up to them, takeout coffee in his hand. He looks nice today, Dongyoung notices, in his long black overcoat. Dongyoung never sees him in the same coat. And why not, if he looks so good in them.

Johnny is looking at Mark, looking him up and down with a funny smile. “Did you not spend the night at home?”

"What?" Mark looks proper scandalised at Johnny's comment. "What the fuck, Johnny, of course I did," he hisses. "I just thought… I've always wanted to grow a moustache, and since it's November…" He idly touches his upper lip, and looks defeated. “Should I shave again? But it's for a good cause...”

“Mm. I've heard Jongin likes clean-shaven boys.”

“Johnny what the _fuck_ ,” Mark hisses again, even more distraught. “I'm going, goodbye, have a nice day Dongyoung.”

“You too, Mark!” Dongyoung watches him stalk off and turns to Johnny. “Jongin?”

“Our Mark has a bit of a crush on him. Loves falling for unavailable guys.”

“What? But I’ve definitely heard Jongin go on about how cute Mark is?” Everyone in their company loves Mark, but Jongin especially. “I think I even heard him say he wants to put Mark on his lap…”

“Yeah but that’s the thing, he only thinks Mark is cute. Like a little kid? He doesn’t realise Mark is like, _into_ him.”

“Oh, gosh, that must suck.” Dongyoung looks at Mark’s shape, one glass door away from Jongin, and feels for him.

Johnny hums in agreement. “Just like trying to make a pass at someone who’s totally oblivious,” he says, and Dongyoung wonders what other kind of unrequited love stories are going on in their office.

  
🍂

  
They can't have lunch on Friday because Johnny has a meeting to attend (“who plans those during lunch time,” he whines to Dongyoung, looking genuinely upset that he can't have lunch together), but Johnny asks Dongyoung if he wants to go out together after work. 

“No, sorry, I can't. I need to go home and recharge,” Dongyoung tells him. He’s always exhausted after a full day at work.

“Oh, I see…” Johnny nods slowly. “How about tomorrow then?”

“But... tomorrow is a Saturday? You want to meet up with me outside of work?”

“Yeah? I'd love to hang out with you outside of work!” Johnny says, his smile encouraging, and even when Dongyoung insists that he’s very boring, Johnny insists that he would love to get to know him better anyway. And Dongyoung finds himself agreeing to it.

Dongyoung is just uploading his files into the cloud when he suddenly realises something. Johnny wants to meet him outside of work. He wants to go out and get lunch with him, he wants to _get to know him better_.

He hurries across the room to Johnny’s desk, waiting impatiently as Johnny turns around to him with a blinding grin. God, it really would be nice if Johnny was a little more subtle, Dongyoung doesn't want the entire office's attention on him. At least not like this, when he has no control over it. “Johnny,” he says urgently, “can I talk to you for a minute? In private?”

“Of course!” Johnny gets up and leads them to the copy room, and Dongyoung starts to say something, because _bloody hell_ , he didn’t spend all those minutes making that sign for it to be disrespected like this? But Johnny turns to him with a small, expectant smile, and to his credit, he didn’t close the door completely. Dongyoung lets the breath he just took escape his body, his shoulders dropping.

“Um.” This is scary, but he really needs to do it. “Please forget this if this isn’t what you meant at all, but, when you said you wanted to go out, did you mean—did you mean, like, as a date?”

Johnny’s face brightens. “Yes! I mean, if you would like that too, of course!”

“But—we’re like, we’re like—colleagues! Are office romances even allowed?”

“No one cares about things like that. The entire floor already knows I’ve been trying to flirt with you.”

He's been _what_ now. “You’ve been—” Dongyoung wisely shuts his mouth before he can continue that sentence and make an even bigger fool of himself, but his face must give him away and Johnny laughs at him anyway.

“The entire floor except you, I guess.”

Dongyoung looks at Johnny in horror, and thinks about how all his colleagues must have been watching him be oblivious to Johnny’s advances. All his recent memories with Johnny are suddenly so different with this newfound information. “I’m so sorry, I never noticed… Wait, but—what about Jaehyun?”

“What about him?”

“Well, you know…” Dongyoung eyes the door. It's still open, but he doesn't see or hear anyone nearby. His voice drops to a whisper anyway. “The _fellatio_ thing…”

There wasn’t much of a point to whispering, because Johnny laughs loudly. “Didn’t you say you were gonna forget about that?”

“I wish I could! It just lives in my brain now, I can’t help it!”

“I told you, it didn’t mean anything.” Johnny regains his breath, and leans against the table. “Actually, I can tell you what happened,” he says, and Dongyoung tells him he really doesn’t need to, but Johnny continues anyway. “We were just waiting for Jaehyun’s records to print so I could print my stuff, and it took forever and we were bored and joking around Jaehyun mentioned something about sucking my dick, and maybe it was a joke but I was like, I bet you couldn’t even make me come in the time we’ve got left. And Jaehyun was like, oh? you think so? I think I can though, I’m pretty good—”  
  
Johnny gestures while he speaks and Dongyoung really wishes he didn’t, he doesn’t need the visual. He wonders if he could just walk out now, or if that would be rude.

“—sure, because I’m not going to turn down an offer like that, right? Free blowjobs!” Johnny continues, and Dongyoung automatically wonders if he normally pays for his blowjobs. But that’s none of his business. “So that’s what happened. And I didn’t get to come, if you were wondering. Oh, I mean, not that I blame you for that or anything! It was stupid of us to do that here anyway, and extremely inappropriate. It was probably the punishment I deserved.” Johnny laughs. “Well, that’s the full story.”

Dongyoung stands there and blinks, staring at the wall somewhere over Johnny's right shoulder. He needs to process this because frankly, what the fuck. “I’m so gonna remember every single word of this,” he says weakly. “And i’m gonna have to share it with everyone in a few years…”

“No! You can’t do that to Jaehyun, come on! He’s going to die of embarrassment!'' Johnny laughs even louder, not looking particularly concerned about Jaehyun’s feelings.

“But what am I gonna do with all this information! I didn’t ask for any of this!”

“Hey, but it brought us together like this, right?” Johnny grins, and winks, and you know what, he’s actually right.

  
🍂

  
Johnny apologises for his wet hair when he joins Dongyoung in the cafe where they agreed to meet, explaining he went to the gym before this and his hair is not completely dry from his shower yet. Dongyoung listens in admiration and slight shame, because all he did before heading here was lie in bed, get out to have some tea and a slice of toast, and then lie in bed some more. “You don't need to apologise for that!”

“I don't know, I usually think I look better when my hair is dry. Soft and fluffy…” Johnny grins at him, and Dongyoung can't tell if he's being serious or messing around with him.

“I think you look good like this, too,” he says, and oh shit, this is a _date_ , if he says this on a date it's totally different. It _means_ things.

Johnny laughs and drops his head, and Dongyoung thinks he looks almost bashful. Oh shit oh _shit_ , Dongyoung loves seeing Johnny like this. The way it makes him feel catches him off guard, leaves him flushed and flustered too. He can’t help his own bashful giggle, and hides his face behind the menu.

  
🍂

🍂

🍂  
  


(Dongyoung is mindlessly staring at the sheets of paper slowly appearing on the printer tray, when someone joins him in the copy room.

“Hey,” he hears, and he instantly brightens up, looking up to grin at Johnny. “Printing too?” Johnny asks, walking up to him until their shoulders are touching. 

“Yeah…” Dongyoung leans into Johnny’s warm body, until he remembers they’re still at the office.

“Almost done?”

“Sorry… Over a hundred pages left.” The printer is really not fast enough for Dongyoung’s liking, but right now, with good company, it’s not really a problem. “This client says computer screens give him headaches so he wants everything printed. ‘ _And don’t make the font too small, that gives me a headache too_ ’.” Dongyoung does a bad impersonation of his fussy client, and sulks. “Poor trees…”

“Yeah… Guess that will still take a while, then.”

Dongyoung hums, and looks at the paper coming out of the printer at a painstakingly slow pace. The entire left side of his body feels warm. If he just stretched his fingers out a little bit, he could probably touch Johnny’s.

“Well,” Johnny speaks up. “Since we’ll be here for some time anyway, just waiting, doing nothing…”

Dongyoung turns and looks up at Johnny, whose small smile grows into a smirk when he catches Dongyoung’s eye.

“Want me to suck your dick?”)

**Author's Note:**

> i feel like “catboy” has slightly different connotations now compared to when i wrote this a year ago, but i still stand by johnny catboy
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/frxdmr)


End file.
